Zarlah the Martian eBook

My thoughts were now turned to the long journey before
me. So deeply absorbed had I been in the rapid
events since I left the observatory, that I had given
little thought to time. My great happiness at
meeting and being with Zarlah had caused me to forget
completely the importance of returning to the observatory
within two hours, and as the thought now flashed through
my mind, I hastily consulted the time. To my great
dismay I found I had but twenty minutes in which to
cover quarter of Mars. This I knew was possible,
but it left such a narrow margin that any delay or
accident, en route, would prove disastrous to our plans,
thus bringing fatal consequences.

We had now reached the large canal in which we had
attained such great speed, and, rising, we proceeded
to pass over it. As we crossed the banks there
came a rushing sound from beneath us, as of a mighty
gust of wind, and, looking through one of the small
windows in the side of the car, I saw in the distance
a speck, which, in another moment, disappeared.
Our aerenoid now gently rocked with the motion of a
boat that is in the swell of a passing steamer, and
I instantly realized that another aerenoid, travelling
at a terrific speed, had passed in the canal beneath
us.

We had now reached the canal that ran parallel to
the one over which we had just passed. This was
in every way similar to the first and was used by
aerenoids going in an opposite direction. Into
this canal we turned, sinking lower as our speed increased,
until, when we had reached our maximum speed, we were
travelling not more than thirty feet above the water.
Thus, whenever necessary, we were ready for an instant
plunge in order to reduce our speed, and thus did
this simple rule of starting high and sinking lower
as the speed increased make collisions impossible.

As it was late in the afternoon when we started, the
daylight soon faded, and in a few minutes we had reached
complete darkness, the double line of lights on the
canal banks being our only guide. Anxiously did
I count the minutes as we sped along, but knowing
the danger of distracting Reon’s attention,
even for a moment, while we were travelling at such
a terrific speed, I kept silent, nor did I allow my
manner to give any evidence of my anxiety.

I now realized that if I reached the observatory in
time, I would owe my life to Zarlah. Twice had
she reminded me of my duties at the observatory, and
had insisted upon my immediate departure, when, under
the influence of her great beauty, I would have lingered
until too late. My mind was fully determined
as to how to proceed with regard to righting the wrong
I felt I had done Almos, in confessing to Zarlah my
love for her. I would leave a note for him at
the observatory to the effect that I wished to communicate
with him the following evening, when I would tell
him all.